For Better Or For Worse
by ReidsLuvr93
Summary: Sequel to Changes For The Better. It's been over five years since JJ's death when Reid meets a single mother, whose husband recently died in the war. Can these two damaged souls help each other through the pain of losing someone they love? No JJ, sorry.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the sequel to "Changes for the Better". I suggest you read it first. But if you don't let me catch you up to speed:**

**In the beginning JJ found out she was pregnant with Reid's baby. Then while she is on a case she gets kidnapped nearly killed, she wasn't JJ anymore. She had changed. Then she died in childbirth. The end. **

**It's depressing I know but bare with me ok?**

**I love JJ, ok? She's my favorite character (well second favorite). But I was stupid and killed her in the end of the last story. And then I came up with this idea. **

--

"Daddy, Daddy can my friend come over tomorrow?" JJ asked running to her father's side. Jennifer Jareau Reid was five and a half years of age. Her silky golden hair flowed two inches past her shoulder and her crystal blue eyes sparkled as she looked at her father. Dr. Spencer Reid. JJ, or Jenny as most of her friends called her, had never met her mother, well Spencer's fiancée, the late Jennifer Jareau, had held their daughter before she had died. But only for a moment.

"Whose this friend?" Reid asked pulling his daughter into his lap.

"Her name is Isabella, she goes to my pre-school." Jenny answered.

"Jayje, baby, I don't know." Reid said.

"Please dad!" Jenny whined.

"What did Isabella's parents say?" Reid asked.

"Her mom said it was okay and to give you this number." Jenny answered pulling a phone number out of her pocket.

"I'll give her a call." Reid said.

"Yay!" Jenny yelled jumping off of her father's lap and running down the hall towards her bedroom. Reid sighed and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket; dialing the number his daughter had given him.

"_Natalie Johansen speaking." _A distracted sounding woman said.

"Hi Mrs. Johansen, my name is Spencer Reid, my daughter Jennifer Reid gave me this number." Reid said.

"_Oh yes, hi." _She said. _"Izzy keep it down! I'm trying to talk on the phone!" _Natalie yelled.

"My daughter informed me that our children are trying to set up a play date. JJ said you okayed it?" Reid asked.

"_Yes I did, I just wanted to speak with you to deal with the details." _Natalie said.

"You could follow me to my house after school tomorrow?" Reid asked.

"_Sounds great, now I have to go to the store. See you tomorrow Mr. Reid." _Natalie said.

"Bye." Reid said hanging up the phone. Once he did he spotted Jenny's golden head peaking around the corner from her bedroom. "She can come over tomorrow." Reid said.

"Yay! Thank you daddy!" Jenny said running down the hall and into her father's arms.

"Your welcome. Now, do you want to go to daddy's work?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Jenny said running towards the door of their new house.

"Jennifer Reid! Wait for me." Reid scolded as his daughter ran out of the house, though he had a small smile on his face.

--

"Aunt Penelope!" Jenny squealed running out of the elevator of the BAU and into Garcia's waiting arms.

"Hey there Kitten, how are you liking the new house?" Garcia asked.

"It's bigger than the apartment." Jenny said.

"Hey Jenny." Jack said walking up to her with his father at his side. Today was "bring your child to work day".

"Hey Jack!" Jenny said wiggling out of Garcia's grasp and hugging her friend. Jack was a spitting image of his father, the same black hair and calm brown eyes. He was calm and very level headed for his age. Everyone found it amusing to watch Jenny and Jack interact, because Jenny was so full of light and energetic and Jack being so level headed. It was almost always a comical interaction.

"Where's Kat?" Reid asked Penelope. Kat was Kevin and Garcia's three-year-old daughter.

"With her dad, she'll be up here soon." Garcia said.

"Oh, JJ, do you want to go say hi to Aunt Emily and Uncle Morgan?" Reid asked.

"Okay." Jenny said walking towards the bullpen.

"JJ get back here." Reid said.

"Why?" She asked turning around to look at Reid.

"Just come here." Reid said catching up to his daughter and taking her hand. They walked into the bullpen together. Morgan and Emily both smiled when they saw them walking up. Emily was nearly six months pregnant with her first child. She had been secretly dating some guy from Langley for a while, they had gotten engaged a month before Emily found out she was pregnant.

"Aunt Emily!" Jenny said releasing her father's hand and running to hug Emily.

"Hey there Sweetie, how are you?" Emily asked.

"Good." She chirped. "Tomorrow Izzy and her mom Ms. Rester are coming over."

"Wait, Ms. Rester? I talked to a Mrs. Johansen." Reid said.

"It's the same person Daddy, Izzy's daddy died in the war a year ago. All the teachers call her Ms. Rester." Jenny explained. Morgan gave Reid a look.

"What's that look for?" Reid asked.

"There is a single mother coming over to your house tomorrow?" Morgan asked with a sinister smile.

"Yeah." Reid said sitting down at his desk. Morgan continued to smile at him. "What?"

"Nothing... nothing…"

--

"This is your house?" Izzy asked getting out of her mother's car. Izzy was roughly JJ's height with long wavy brown hair and green eyes.

"Yep, do you like it?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah." Izzy said. The two girls ran to the front door.

"Hi, I'm Natalie Johansen." A skinny brunette woman said reaching her hand out to Reid. Natalie looked just like an older version of her daughter, with her green eyes sparkling.

"Dr. Spencer Reid." Reid said shaking her hand.

"Doctor?" Natalie asked as they started to walk towards the house.

"Yes, I work for the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI." Reid said.

"You're a profiler?" She asked. Reid nodded. "Wow, so where's your wife?" She asked.

"JJ died in childbirth five years ago." Reid said sadly.

"Oh my." Natalie gasped.

"It's okay. She was suffering down here on earth anyways. She had worked for the BAU too, and while we were on a case she was kidnapped. She was never the same after that." Reid said.

"My husband Jonathan died in the war a little over a year ago." Natalie said sadly.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Reid said. Natalie shrugged.

"It's okay I suppose." She said as Reid opened the door and let her in to the couch.

"Jen?" Reid called.

"Yeah daddy?" She called down the hall.

"I just wanted to see where you were at." Reid said before sitting down on the couch, Natalie joined him.

"How do you manage raising Jenny and working for the FBI?" Natalie asked.

"Oh, well one of my colleges is a technical analyst, they don't go into the field. So she normally takes her. Besides, JJ loves hanging out with Kat." Reid said.

"You named your daughter after your wife?" Natalie asked, Reid nodded.

"Fiancée, but yeah." Reid said looking down at his hands.

"Oh."

"And my other college is pregnant so if Garcia has to go with us Emily takes Kat and Jen." Reid said referring back to the topic at hand.

"Lots of kids." Natalie said.

"No, not really. And our unit chief has a eight-year-old son. But Jack lives with his mom most of the time."

"It's sad isn't it? That people would willingly give up their husband and take their child away from them." Natalie said.

"Yes it is."

--

**Okay I'm going to stop there, tell me what you think!**

**Shout outs: **

**Steph: **heyyyy! What's up! Sorry I didn't call you last night, but it didn't matter, cause you called me.

**Irina: **I bet you're reading this! Hey! I hope to see you again today, yesterday was a lot of fun!

**Kasi: **Oh Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo? XD Hey, how are you today my Romeo?

**Laura. **

**Ang. **

**Brigitte. **

**Élisa. **

**Lizzy. **

**Nate. **

**Ali. **

**Morti. **

**Blüm. **

**Kirst. **

**And all my other pals from the Criminal Minds Fanatic Website. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I would like to thank Irina (:D), Hidge (Hey, oh man, I never finished reading your elle/reid story. I am sick today so I might just sit down and read all of it), princess89 (Hey! Wow, this is a popular story among my friends, how are you?), Dropkick95, tearbos, Ang (hey! I didn't know you read any of my stories?!), numb3rslover and egoofy34 for reviewing the last chapter.**

**I keep thinking about these little JJ and Reid moments, but I don't want to write them into the story cause I don't want to interfere with the plot of this story. So keep your eyes out for short one shots. **

**I already posted a one shot. "My Daddy". I thought it up while I was in the store yesterday. **

**Okay so I am watching Dharma & Greg on DVD this afternoon so I am in that mood, so if it seems a little Dharma & Greg-ish then you know why. **

--

"Did you have fun?" Reid asked later that night. While he and Jenny sat on the wrap around couch watching _Dharma & Greg _reruns on TV.

"Yep, and Izzy thinks her mom likes you." Jenny said not looking away from the television screen.

"What do you mean?" Reid asked looking at his daughter, who was leaning forward in her seat.

"Izzy said her mom has barely talked since her dad died last year. But today she talked to you for a long time." Jenny explained still not taking her eyes off of the TV.

"Maybe she talked to me because I was the only person that could understand her?" Reid suggested. Jenny simply shrugged. Just then Reid's phone started to ring. "Reid." He said answering the phone.

"_Hey it's Emily." _The voice on the other end said.

"Hey Emily, what's up?" Reid asked.

"_I was just calling to inform you that we have a new case." _Emily said. Reid sighed.

"Okay I'll be there as soon as I can." Reid said hanging up the phone.

"Do I have to go to Aunt Penelope's?" Jenny asked. Reid nodded. Jenny sighed before standing up to go get her stuff. A few minutes later Jenny came back into the room with her pink book bag full of clothes and other stuff she might need.

"Ready to go?" Reid asked.

"I guess." Jenny sighed walking towards the door. Reid raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Sweetie, what's the matter?" Reid asked his daughter, following her into the darkness of the night.

"I want to spend some time with you. But every time we start having a good time you have to go to work." Jenny said climbing into the front seat of the car and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know Sweetie, and I'm sorry. But Daddy has a very demanding job. Trying to make the world safer for you and your friends when you grow up." Reid said.

"I just want you at home, not saving the world." Jenny said staring out the window as Reid pulled out of the driveway. Reid didn't know what to say, so they drove in silence the rest of the way.

--

"Kitten, what's wrong?" Garcia asked a couple hours later. Jenny had been sitting cross-legged on the floor ever since she got there. Whenever Kat, Kevin, or Garcia tried talking to her she just ignored them.

"I want daddy to me home, like normal daddies." She said.

"A lot of daddies work Sweetie." Garcia said sitting down next to her.

"But a lot of daddies have mommies with them to help take care of the kids." Jenny pointed out.

"That's true, but your daddy has to make a living. And lets face it, if he wasn't working for the BAU and saving lives he would be considered a freak. Unless he turned into a hermit librarian." Garcia said.

"Why is daddy a freak?" Jenny asked.

"He's very smart, and most people think that's weird." Garcia said.

"I don't think it is." Jenny said.

"Well you were born _after _his awequard rambeling faze." Garcia said.

"He still says weird stuff." Jenny pointed out.

"Yeah, but not like he used to." Garcia said. Jenny smiled.

"So most people don't like daddy?" Jenny asked.

"No they don't, and it's very hard on him. You remember meeting your grandmother last fall?" Garcia asked. Jenny nodded.

"She was nice, but sometimes she seemed a little crazy." Jenny said making a crazy face.

"That's because she is Sweetie, in a way. And your daddy's dad left when your dad was only ten. So your dad had to take care of his mom and go to high school." Garcia said.

"He was ten." Jenny said.

"He graduated at twelve." Garcia said. Jenny made an 'o' shape with her mouth. "It was tough on him, that's all. And this job is the only place he has ever fit in."

"I guess, but I still miss him." Jenny said.

"I know you do Sweetie." Garcia said pulling Jenny into her arms.

"Aunt Penelope?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I go to bed now?"

--

**That's all for this chapter I am afraid. I know it is short and for that I apologize. But I am not feeling well and I wanted to write this chapter. **

**Please review!**

**BTW I just came up with a new idea for a one shot! Writing about when Jenny and Reid went to see Diana, what do you think? Would y'all like to read about that? **


	3. Chapter 3

**I would like to thank princess89 (Heyyyy girl! How are you doing? I miss you!) and Irinaj (hey! How are you? How's soccer, or football, w/e, going? When's the next French game so I can tune in?) for reviewing the last chapter.**

--

Five days later Reid was standing outside of his daughter's preschool waiting for them to get out.

"Look whose here." Natalie said walking over to him.

"Hey, how are you?" He asked.

"I'm good. I thought you were out of town?" Natalie asked.

"I was, we salved the case. JJ was supposed to go back with Garcia tonight, they were going to go to the zoo. But it was a really tough case." Reid said.

"Can you share?" Natalie asked.

"Yeah, the unsub, or unknown subject, was abducting young girls, five to seven year olds to be exact, he would rape them and chain them in his basement. After a week he would kill them." Reid said. Natalie gasped, Reid nodded.

"That's horrible!" She exclaimed.

"Yes it is." Reid agreed looking down at his shoes.

"Izzy said that Jenny was mad at you for leaving again." Natalie said.

"It's my job, it's the only thing I can do." Reid said sadly.

"I know, Izzy felt the same way when her dad went to war." Natalie said with tears in her eyes. "But I always told her that 'daddy would be home soon'." She choked. Reid didn't know what to say; luckily Jenny and Izzy came walking out of the school.

"Hey mommy, what's wrong?" Izzy asked walking over to her mother.

"Nothing Sweetie." Natalie said wiping away her tears.

"Daddy!" Jenny exclaimed running into her father's arms.

"Hey Sweetie." Reid said hugging his daughter tight.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Jenny asked pulling back to look into Reid's eyes.

"Tough case." Reid said with a sigh. Jenny hugged her dad.

"Wanna go out for ice cream?" Jenny asked. Reid smiled.

"Sure. Would Natalie and Izzy like to come with us?" Reid asked turning to the mother and daughter.

"Uhm… what do you think Sweetie?" Natalie asked turning to her daughter.

"Yeah!" Izzy said with a 'duh' tone of voice.

"Okay, we're in." Natalie said turning to Reid.

"Great." Reid said turning to his car and putting Jenny in the front seat.

"Can I ride with them?" Izzy asked.

"If that's okay with Dr. Reid." Natalie said.

"Sure." Reid said opening the back door. Jenny jumped out of the front seat and climbed into the back. Izzy squirmed out of her mother's arms and climbed into the back seat. "See you there." Reid said walking around his car.

"I'll follow you?" Natalie asked.

"Sure." Reid said climbing into his car. He waited until he saw Natalie climb into her car. Then he pulled out into the drive way and into the parking lot. Then onto the road. He smiled as he listen to Izzy and Jenny talk about their day and what kind of ice cream they were going to get. But one statement caught his attention.

"Do you think we'll become sisters?" Izzy asked Jenny.

"I don't know, my dad hasn't looked at anyone like that since mom died." Jenny said.

"Mom hasn't either. But she's looking at your dad the way she looked at my daddy when he was still alive." Izzy said.

"Oh my God we're going to be sisters!" Jenny cheered.

"Yeah!" Izzy cheered. Reid tried not to listen to them, because it wasn't true. But he couldn't stop his heart from speeding up at the thought of him and Natalie together. He shook his head trying to stop himself from thinking like that. But he couldn't.

--

"I'll have a sundae with extra nuts." Reid said to the cashier at the ice cream store.

"Me too! Only littler." Jenny said standing up on her tiptoes.

"Me too!" Izzy said.

"I'll have a chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream." Natalie said.

"Okay that'll be ten seventy five." The cashier said. Reid pulled his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out eleven dollars. A ten-dollar bill and a one-dollar bill. While doing so his FBI badge fell out of his pocked. Jenny picked it up off the floor and handed it to him.

"Thank you Sweetie." Reid said tucking it into his pocket. The woman cashier caught a glimpse of it, and she couldn't help but be turned on.

"Are you together?" She asked.

"We're paying together, yes." Reid said.

"I think she means together together." Natalie whispered.

"Oh, well, uh, no we're not." Reid said. The cashier smiled.

"Kids, why don't you go find pick a table" Natalie said shooing the children in the direction of the tables.

"Okay." Jenny and Izzy said running in the direction Natalie pointed them. Natalie followed suit.

"So, I see you're not married." The cashier said.

"No, my fiancée died before we could marry." Reid said.

"Oh I'm sorry." She said.

"It's okay." Reid said with a shrug.

"So, uh, my break is in ten minutes, can I maybe join you guys?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, but I wanted to spend time with my daughter and her friend today. I just got back from a tough case and it involved children her age." Reid said.

"O-okay. Here's your order." The cashier said hanging him the tray before walking away to go mope. Reid walked to the table with a slight smile on his face.

"What was that about Daddy?" Jenny asked as he sat down across from her.

"Nothing, she was just asking if we wanted an extra ice cream." Reid lied.

"And you said no?" Jenny asked looking at the tray.

"We have enough already." He said handing out the ice cream.

"Hey look! It's Uncle Morgan!" Jenny said ten minutes later when Morgan came walking into the ice cream shop.

"What is he doing here?" Reid asked. Jenny shrugged.

"Reid my Man!" Morgan said noticing Reid sitting at the table.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Reid asked standing up to greet Morgan. Morgan was not an ice cream type of guy.

"I am meeting Garcia and Kevin here in ten minutes. What are you doing here?" Morgan asked.

"We all came out for ice cream." Reid said gesturing towards the table.

"Who is this?" Morgan asked sinisterly.

"Derek Morgan, Natalie Johansen, Natalie Johansen, Derek Morgan." Reid said introducing them.

"Nice to meet you." Natalie said shaking Morgan's hand. "This is my daughter Isabella." Natalie said.

"Nice to meet you Isabella." Morgan said shaking Izzy's hand.

"Hi." She said before taking another bite of her ice cream.

"How do you know Spencer?" Natalie asked.

"Spencer?" Morgan asked looking at Reid.

"Yes." Reid said a little irritated.

"We work together." Morgan said answering the question.

"Oh." Natalie said.

"Reid, can I talk to you over here?" Morgan asked walking to the other end of the ice cream shop. "My Man!" He cheered slapping Reid on the back.

"We're just friends, not even really friends. We just talked for one afternoon." Reid said slightly blushing. Morgan merely smiled.

"Daddy! Can we go to the park?" Jenny called. Reid caught Natalie's eyes, Natalie nodded.

"Sure." Reid said. "I got to go, sorry. See you in the morning?" Reid asked.

"Sure." Morgan said patting Reid again.

"Tell Garcia I said hi." Reid said before fleeing towards the table. It wasn't that he hated Morgan, it was quite the opposite. But if he stayed around Morgan much longer Natalie would know he liked her. And that was the last thing he wanted to happen. He was the type of guy to lay low, but Morgan was always telling everyone stuff like that. Morgan never told about serious stuff, but there was a reason he didn't talk about women around Derek Morgan…

--

**Ahhhh ok, I made Reid and Morgan seem evil together. And for that I am sorry! I love the Reid/Morgan friendship dynamic. But seriously, if you were Reid you would get the hell outta there. :D **

**Anyways please review!! **


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